NCAA Football: Ohio Bobcats Season Preview

Frank Solich enters his seventh season as head coach of the Bobcats, looking to lead his squad to a third consecutive bowl game.

Ohio has lost both bowl two appearances, but are 17-10 in regular-season play, with a 13-4 record in the Midwest Athletic Conference (MAC). They were East Division champions in 2009.  

Solich is 40-36 through six seasons at the helm in Athens, but that includes his first and fourth seasons, where the team went a disappointing 4-8. Keep in mind Solich is the only MAC team in the Eastern Division to have coached for more than three seasons.

In his previous stint with Nebraska, Solich led the Cornhuskers to a 58-19 record during his six-year stay in Lincoln. He was Big 12 Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2001—the latter a year in which his star quarterback Eric Crouch won the Heisman on the way to leading Nebraska to an appearance in the BCS National Championship against Miami.

Solich has improved the offense though they struggled mightily one season ago. Averaging just 326 YPG and being ranked only 95^th is far from average, let alone good.

They were 102^nd in passing offense and have lost their starting QB Boo Jackson who has been their guy for the past two seasons. Tyler Tettleton is now the expected starter and he is much more of an accurate passer than Jackson was (17 INTS!).

The receiving core is solid as they return Lavon Brazill who missed half the season last year. Riley Dunlop also returns as he is the leading returnee among the core.

This offense was successful running the pigskin because of one of the better offensive lines in the MAC. The right side of the line is rock solid with Eric Herman and Joe Flading who both have the talent to be named to the All-MAC team. 

The defense was solid if unspectacular a season ago, finishing 41^st in the nation, allowing just 353 YPG. They only have four returning starters on defense, but they do return one of the best linebackers in America!

Noah Keller was First Team All-MAC back in 2009, and would have retained the honor in 2010 if not for a season-ending injury suffered early in the campaign.

The entire LB corps is back and should help stifle the opposition’s ground game. The secondary only has one returning starter from a unit that allowed 230 passing yards per-game (No. 83 nationally). 

Ranked by many publications as the easiest schedule in America, the non-conference slate is a cake walk. New Mexico State, Gardner-Webb, Marshall, and Rutgers don't scare anyone. None of those four opponents are expected to seriously contend for a bowl slot come December.

The road game at Rutgers could be tricky, but aside that test, the conference slate is fairly easy.

Ohio will be favored in the majority of their conference games, though their two toughest tests will come at home against Temple and Miami (Ohio), the latter the 2010 MAC champions.

I predict one loss for this Solich-led squad, but an East Division crown and a bowl game should be in the cards.

Predicted Finish: 11-3, 7-2

Predicted Bowl: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl

Predicted order of finish in MAC: 2nd overall, 1st in East Division